Google most valuable brand, as Apple slips to second

Google is the top global brand according to a new report, pushing Apple into second place for the first time in three years.

The ’2014 100 Top Brandz report’ from global market research firm Millward Brown has concluded Google is the highest value brand in the world after the company’s brand value grew 40 percent in a year to US$158.84 billion.

“Google has been extremely innovative this year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and a range of partnerships,” said the head of Millward Brown France, Benoit Tranzer.

Apple has held the top spot for the past three years, but saw a drop in value in 2014, falling by 20 percent to US$147.88 billion. Brand value is concluded by the financial state of the company and its standing among consumers. The perception that Apple has failed to innovate in the past four years, since the arrival of the iPad in 2010, has dinted the Cupertino-based company’s value in the eyes of the public.

IBM finished third in the US-dominated top 10 for the second time in a row with US$107.54 billion, ahead of Microsoft, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Visa, AT&T, Marlboro and Amazon.

The combined value of the Top 100 brands in the study has almost doubled since the first ranking in 2006, now worth US$2.9 trillion.

Australian companies to appear in the rankings were headed by the Commonwealth Bank, which moved up four places to finish 44th. ANZ remained at 52, Westpac rose three places to 85 and Woolworths fell two places to 82.